How accurate is Twister? Is Twister based on real science?

Twister is a 1996 disaster movie that follows a team of storm chasers who try to deploy a device called Dorothy into the path of a tornado. The device is supposed to release hundreds of sensors that can measure the wind speed, pressure, temperature and humidity inside the twister.

The movie was inspired by a real device called TOTO, which was developed by NOAA researchers in the 1970s and 1980s. However, the movie is not very accurate in depicting the science and reality of tornadoes and storm chasing.

According to NOAA, some of the scientific inaccuracies in the movie include:

– The Fujita scale, which is used to rate the intensity of tornadoes, was not introduced until 1971, but the movie shows a character mentioning it in 1969.

– The movie shows tornadoes forming and dissipating very quickly, which is not realistic. Most tornadoes last for several minutes, and some can last for hours.

– The movie shows storm chasers driving very close to tornadoes and even driving through them, which is extremely dangerous and irresponsible. In reality, storm chasers try to keep a safe distance from tornadoes and avoid getting caught in their path.

– The movie shows Dorothy being able to fly into the tornado and transmit data back to the storm chasers. In reality, TOTO was very heavy and difficult to deploy, and it never got a direct hit by a tornado. Even if it did, it would have been destroyed by the debris and winds inside the twister.

The movie Twister was entertaining and thrilling, but it should not be taken as a reliable source of information about tornadoes and storm chasing.